MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 20 Oct 11

• Honkin’ Big Ship (HBS) contracts awarded:  “…. The combat package includes the Royal Canadian Navy’s Arctic Offshore Patrol ships and the Canadian Surface Combatants ships. The non-combat package includes the Navy’s joint support ships, the Canadian Coast Guard’s off-shore science vessels and the new polar icebreaker. Small ship construction (116 vessels), an estimated value of $2 billion, will be set aside for competitive procurement amongst Canadian shipyards other than the yards selected to build large vessels. Regular maintenance and repair, valued at $500 million annually, will be open to all shipyards through normal procurement processes. Irving Shipbuilding Inc. has been selected to build the combat vessel work package (21 vessels), and Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. has been selected to build the non-combat vessel work package (7 vessels). The total value of both packages is $33 billion and will span 20 to 30 years ….”  More in the government backgrounder here.
• Media coverage of HBS contracts:  QMI/Sun Media, Victoria Times-Colonist, Vancouver Sun, CBC.ca, Globe & Mail, CTV.ca, Charlottetown Guardian, Toronto Star, Reuters and canadianbusines.com.
• HBS editorial from the National Post:  “…. The Tories are to be congratulated for devising a tamper-proof, corruption-free, unbiased system for awarding such large contracts. We realize that they originally built this process in large part as a means to cover themselves from the political fallout of hard, unpopular contracting decisions. Nevertheless, they are to be congratulated for sticking with it to the end, despite the potentially controversial result in this case ….”
• A more “glass is half empty” HBS opinion.  “The denouement of the great multi-billion-dollar shipbuilding bonanza has left almost everyone popping Champagne corks —except perhaps Quebec, and the poor, bloody taxpayer who will end up footing the bill for the inevitable cost overruns and delays that will result from the government’s made-in-Canada national strategy ….”
• More HBS commentary:  “…. It’s almost a no-win situation for the government. Still, the only way to prevent this from becoming the Harper government’s CF-18 moment is for them to hew scrupulously to their technocratic bid process.”
• More HBS analysis:  “…. Despite efforts taken to eliminate appearances of partisan interference, it continues to swirl around the billions of dollars in contracts. “Whatever the outcome, the decision is likely to unleash a firestorm,” said Christian Leuprecht from the Queen’s University Centre for International and Defence Policy. “There are no obvious pork-barrel political choices here,” he said, noting the ridings around the Halifax shipyard are all NDP, as are those around the Vancouver shipyard — although some of the neighbouring ridings went Conservative — and around the Davie Shipyard in Quebec City. “If you’re trying to prop up Canada’s industrial heartland, Ontario and Quebec, which has been hurting pretty bad economically and where the Conservatives would be likely to get the most political bang for their buck in terms of votes, the core bid would go to the Davie shipyard.” ….”
• What (else is) Canada Buying?  “Sleds, self-propelled” for Shilo, Petawawa – more technical details in excerpt from bid document (11 page PDF) here.
• Libya Mission  Canada’s Sea Kings busy over the Med (via CEFCOM Info-Machine)
• Afghanistan  Canadians take part in German Unity Day parade in northern Afghanistan (via Regional Support Command-North/NTM-A Info-Machine)
• “Canadian federal officials will participate in an annual crisis management exercise organized by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) from October 19 to 26, 2011. Canada’s part in the international exercise will be played from government offices in Ottawa and linked to Canada’s NATO delegation. Crisis Management Exercise 2011 (CMX 11) provides an international forum to test, evaluate and improve coordination, intelligence and information sharing amongst federal departments and agencies with NATO Allies. It will ensure that we work effectively with our international partners to respond to emergencies in Canada or abroad. …. This exercise will involve civilian and military officials from all 28 NATO member nations, NATO Headquarters and NATO Strategic Commands, as well as participants from Sweden and Finland. Lessons learned from the exercise will enhance Canada’s ability to work together with Allies to confront threats of all kinds ….”
• Stuart Landridge, R.I.P. (1)  “A public hearing into the suicide of Edmonton-based soldier Cpl. Stuart Langridge will start in Ottawa on Feb. 27. Langridge hanged himself in March 2008 following several earlier suicide attempts. The young soldier suffered from severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and struggled with substance abuse after he returned from a six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2005. The Military Police Complaints Commission (MPCC) announced last month that a hearing would be held. The date was set on Wednesday. The hearing comes after Langridge’s parents filed a formal complaint with the commission. Sheila and Shaun Fynes allege the probe conducted by the Canadian Forces National Investigations Service was not impartial or independent, and aimed to absolve the military of any responsibility for their son’s death ….”
• Stuart Landridge, R.I.P. (2)  Family seeking help from CF for lawyers to represent them – more here.
• Ooopsie….  “Some Canadian soldiers are feeling a little unappreciated after home improvement retail giant Lowe’s announced it would pull its discount program it said was offered by mistake – the discount program was only intended for U.S. military members. The U.S.-based company had offered the 10% discount since 2008 to members of the Canadian Armed Forces at four stores – two in Ottawa, one in Kingston, Ont., and one in Belleville, near CFB Trenton. The company said the program was never intended for Canada and just recently realized its error. “I’m not able to get into the specifics of our (Lowe’s) systems and processes, but it (the discount) was a combination of misunderstanding and miscommunication that unfortunately went undetected until now,” Joanne Elson, corporate communications manager with Lowe’s Canada, said Wednesday ….”
• Mark Collins’ impressions of testimony on organization of the CF at a recent Senate Standing Committee hearing.
• More back and forth in the House of Commons on east coast search and rescue.  “Mr. Ryan Cleary (St. John’s South—Mount Pearl, NDP):  Mr. Speaker, Canada has one of the worst search and rescue response times in the world. A recent incident off Bell Island, Newfoundland showed just how bad it was.  After emergency flares were fired in the area, the Coast Guard called in a provincial ferry, full of passengers, to help the search and rescue effort. It then took the Canadian Coast Guard vessel over three hours to arrive on the scene.  This is not about a limo service from a fishing lodge; this is about human lives. How long would the minister be prepared to wait in icy water before being rescued?  Hon. Keith Ashfield (Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, CPC):  Mr. Speaker, the member opposite knows full well that the search and rescue system is made up of a network of potential responders that includes the Coast Guard, the Coast Guard auxiliary, the Canadian Forces and any vessel of opportunity. Any vessel within the vicinity of a search and rescue call can be asked to assist.  When the flares are discharged, the CCG will treat it as a matter of distress. If the member would like to be constructive, he would help us to take this message back to the public so that lives are not put at unnecessary risk.”
• Tory MP Tilly O’Neill Gordon (Miramichi) salutes women in the CF in the House of Commons.  “October is Women’s History Month in Canada. This year’s theme, Women in Canadian Military Forces: A Proud Legacy, highlights the important contributions of women to the Canadian military forces throughout Canada’s history. It is an ideal time to learn about the work of outstanding women who serve and protect Canada and Canadians through key roles in the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Women such as Elizabeth Gregory MacGill, the first woman aircraft designer in the world, Josée Kurtz, the first woman to command a warship, and Marie Louise Fish, the first woman to serve as a naval officer at sea, are inspiring leaders. Their milestone achievements helped pave the way for women in the Canadian military. On behalf of all Canadians, we thank them for being an important part of our national military history.”
• A Conservative MP presents a nuclear disarmament petition in the House.  “Canadians are well aware of the destructive power of nuclear weapons, a power that the world’s worst dictators and terrorists are trying to acquire. I would like to present to the House a petition from the Oakville chapter of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. The petition is signed by 330 residents of Oakville. The petitioners ask the government to commit to the motion passed by the House on December 7, 2010, regarding the global disarmament of nuclear weapons. I am happy to present this petition for a response from our government.”  The text of the December 2010 motion:  “By unanimous consent, it was resolved, — That the House of Commons: (a) recognize the danger posed by the proliferation of nuclear materials and technology to peace and security; (b) endorse the statement, signed by 500 members, officers and companions of the Order of Canada, underlining the importance of addressing the challenge of more intense nuclear proliferation and the progress of and opportunity for nuclear disarmament; (c) endorse the 2008 five-point plan for nuclear disarmament of Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, and encourage the Government of Canada to engage in negotiations for a nuclear weapons convention as proposed by the United Nations Secretary-General; (d) support the initiatives for nuclear disarmament of President Obama of the United States of America; and (e) commend the decision of the Government of Canada to participate in the landmark Nuclear Security Summit and encourage the Government of Canada to deploy a major world-wide Canadian diplomatic initiative in support of preventing nuclear proliferation and increasing the rate of nuclear disarmament.”
• Letter to the editor:  let’s not forget the Aboriginal contribution to the War of 1812.  “Canadians are unaware of the full import of the role of First Nations and the pivotal role the War of 1812 played in the history of Canada’s treatment of aboriginal peoples. Many historians believe that Britain would have lost the war without the aboriginal military strength. Canada’s very existence depended on First Nations co-operation …. Native leaders like Tecumseh hoped for an alliance with Britain to help prevent the elimination of First Nations at the hands of the U.S. The British proclamation of 1763 had meant recognition and accommodation of aboriginal peoples by Britain. First Nations were military allies against the Americans ….”

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 4 Dec 10

• The F-35?  Greatest thing since sliced bread – just ask the manufacturer! More, this time throwing the “lookit all the jobs you’ll get” card onto the table during committee hearings in Ottawa here.  More of the same discussion coming to the House of Commons Standing Committee on National Defence next week as well.
• Congrats to Brigadier-General Hilary Jaeger, Director General Reserves and Cadets, and Commander Josée Kurtz, Commanding Officer, Her Majesty”s Canadian Ship Halifax: “Two senior Canadian Forces (CF) officers were recognized among the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada by The Women”s Executive Network (WXN)™ on Monday, November 29.  Brigadier-General Hilary Jaeger, Director General Reserves and Cadets from Ottawa, Ont., received an Award under the Cisco Public Sector Leader category, and Commander Josée Kurtz, Commanding Officer, Her Majesty”s Canadian Ship Halifax from Halifax, NS, received the Xstrata Nickel Trailblazers & Trendsetters Award.  “I am so proud of the accomplishments of these two outstanding officers,” said General Walt Natynczyk, Chief of the Defence Staff. “This award is a real testament to their leadership and commitment to the Canadian Forces.” …. Canada”s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards is Canada”s most recognizable award for the country”s highest achieving female leaders in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors where women are selected for recognition by an independent advisory board ….” More on the history of women in the CF here, and congrats from the Defence Minister here.
• Rick Hillier for Premier?  Not so Fast! Perpetual anti-Conservative columnist James Travers over at the Toronto Star suggests the latest probe into unproven allegations against Canadian commandos could be a millstone around The Big Cod’s neck: “…. Horrible things happen in the fog of war and are often excused by it. But Sand Trap Two is making the brass unusually edgy by going beyond the events to deconstruct how the command chain reacted and what actions it took.  Making that particularly troubling is the unique special forces command structure. Unlike other units, it skirts the military’s many layers to report directly to the CDS, the country’s most senior soldier …. There are also risks in secretive systems. Accountability is suspect and there’s no place for the buck to stop but at the top …. this week new questions were being asked, first about children Canadians turned over to Kabul’s notorious interrogators and then about the Sand Trap probes.  Hillier, who declined an opportunity to comment for this column, has more than earned the benefit of the doubt and no conclusive evidence has seeped into the public domain that the commandos broke laws. But the very nature of JTF2 operations creates situations, doubts and suspicions that the inquiry needs to dispel before the general responsible for the special forces could safely begin a second career in politics.”
• Speaking of special forces troops, the Winnipeg Free Press says ANOTHER level of staffing should keep the “men in black” in line better (assuming they’re out of line in the first place, of course):  “…. A new investigative body could still preserve JTF2’s necessary secrets, while ensuring Canadian principles and values are being upheld. It’s not a repudiation of the military, but an opportunity to ensure the trust of Canadians is never lost.”
• Remember what I said about “hard” journalists and others in Afghanistan? Well, if you believe this rabble.ca piece, not all reporting teams can claim to be hardened by the experience in Afghanistan:  “…. A major Canadian broadcaster has a team of two here. They are nice, pleasant to talk to and working hard. The problem is, one of them refuses to “leave the wire,” military speak for going off the base. In three days, my partner and I have spent more time off the base than they will in their entire tour. How can a reporter report accurately on anything when so disconnected from their surroundings and the people who live, work, and die here, much less a national election dripping with corruption and complexity? The simple answer is they can’t. What suffers most in this scenario is the base of knowledge and understanding back home, the ability of our population to ask the right people the right questions, and make a somewhat educated vote in our own elections. True democracy requires an informed public, and that is precisely what we in Canada are not ….” To put a touch of context to this, I wonder if insurance is the issue?  If head office wanted a presence in AFG, but didn’t want to pay the (likely) HUGE money needed to cover someone headed outside the wire, it’s not the reporters’ fault.  However, if they’re covered and CHOOSE not to go, not quite holding up the traditions, are they?